05/11/2016End of Season Championship

Congratulations to all our intrepid End of Season sailors!

Well done to the mighty RS sailors who braved the elements to share in a fab full-on Rutland SC weekend of heavy wind and cold weather sailing, hearty food, bar banter, old and new friends together, with a bit of late night cheeky dancing thrown in.

RS200 End of Season Championship Rutland Sailing Club 5-6 November 2016

What a fantastic weekend we had at Rutland Water last week for the RS200 End of Seasons. A great fleet of 20 boats launched in bitterly cold, although sunny conditions, into a stiff 20 knot breeze. We all knew it had the potential to be a good day’s racing. The format was 3 races on Saturday with one discard and a non-excludable pursuit race on Sunday that counted for double points, so it was all to play for come the final day.

Race one saw Robert Gullan and Rob Henderson take the lead up the first beat closely followed by the rest of the fleet. A few boats were caught out downwind by big squally gusts and this is where most places were won and lost throughout the day. At the end of 4 cold laps, Ben Palmer and Jo Wright took the win closely followed by Robert Gullan and Rob Henderson in second. Jack Holden and Amy Yeoman third, finishing off the podium positions for that race.

Race two saw even more big gusts and shifts coming down the lake making the downwind legs into a “follow the gust exercise”. David Jessop and Claire Walsh mastered the challenging conditions to win race two. However, not too far behind, there was still a mighty battle on for second, with 4 boats all approaching the last leeward gate together at great speed. The inside boat of James Penty and George Stainforth took second with Ian Martin and Lucy Preston taking third.

By race three many sailors were tired and cold, and small mistakes were being made on the race track, there were many capsizes - to check their slot gaskets mid-race of course! Coming out in top position was Robert Gullan and Rob Henderson, which put them in the position of the overnight leaders.

Sunday was also freezing cold, with a wind chill of -1 degrees, and just as windy. The pursuit race for the RS200s was 1 hour 54 minutes, starting just 6 minutes after the RS Aero 5s. The start was a tricky one as it was practically a reach from the pin end to the first windward mark. The first leg saw Oliver Groves and Esther Parkhurst come out in front with the rest of the fleet biting their rudder blade. During the first lap a few untimely capsizes spread the fleet out. Robert Gullan and Rob Henderson took the lead but they were being hunted down by Ben Palmer and Jo Wright eagerly. As the race went on and the rain started the fleet started to close up again although with just 30 minutes to go, the rain brought some big winds and even more capsize drills. Ian Martin, crewed by Nikki Birrell, started to advance through the fleet in the closing minutes. Ben Palmer and Jo Wright passed them in the final stages to clinch first place in the fleet. Robert Gullan and Rob Henderson took and impressive second, a little further behind in third place were James Penty and George Stainforth.

As the pursuit was double points, this left the overall results as: 1st Robert Gullan and Rob Henderson; 2nd Ben Palmer and Joanna Wright, and in 3rd Ian Martin and Lucy Preston.

In reflection it was an absolutely great weekend especially considering the temperatures. Fantastic close racing in extremely challenging conditions. Rutland SC did a great job of both running the races and running the rescue boats, thanks to all who helped and sailed. Thanks also to Team Volvo sailors John Pink and Nikki Birrell for joining in the fun, and to event sponsors Volvo and Magic Marine.

By James Penty

RS300 End of Seasons Championship Rutland Sailing Club 5-6 Nov 16

This year, the RS End of Seasons moved from their usual home at Datchet, to Rutland Water. The RS300 fleet got a typically small turnout of just 4; Tim Keen, Rob Jones, Paul Watson, and Harry McVicar.

Format for the weekend had Saturday with 3 races back-to-back and Sunday with a 2 hour pursuit for double points.

Saturday began with sunshine and a stiff 20 knot breeze, with gusts pushing 27. The RS300s shared a Trapezoid course with the RS Aeros, who much to our surprise, got the first start.

Race one saw the fleet split 3 ways to the top mark, with Harry taking the right, Rob and Tim going up the middle and Paul showing us that low and fast is the way to go taking first mark honours, followed by Harry, who promptly got blown over on the following reach as the wind pushed up the to the wrong side of 25 knots. This set the tone for the race, and the dreaded choppy run led to numerous downwind capsizes for all except Rob, who made it round with just one dip; he who swims least shall be first. Tim second, Paul third, Harry last with more swims than points.

Race two saw a little less wind but brought with it some dodgy shifts at the top mark. Tim got the best of these and led the way followed by Paul and Rob, who then had a tandem death-roll at the bear-away. Harry had one short capsize, and Tim stayed dry, giving him the win. Harry second, and Rob out muscled Paul to take third.

For Race 3, Harry hit the showers (I didn't wuss out, promise!). Tim had a commanding lead before falling in. Rob robbed him of it, Paul came in 3rd.

I guess the race organisers did know what they were doing. We never did catch the fastest Aeros...

Saturday night, Tim went back to the hotel for a bath and an early night (at Zoe's request, honest...) and Harry went and stood in a muddy field watching explosions. This left Rob and Paul to represent the class propping up the bar. By their faces on Sunday morning they did an admirable job!

Sunday was even colder, just above freezing, and just as windy. Those hangovers wouldn't last long...

The 2 hour pursuit race was a mere 1 hour 46 minutes for us RS300s, which sounded pretty gruelling to all (Rich Le Mare laughs from a distance...), and began with a reaching start. The first hour saw some fantastically close racing, with everyone having a go at the front thanks to a variety of beating tactics, running bravery, and hiking fitness. Then it all went wrong. In one run, Harry fell in, Tim saw his chance for an overtake, and fell in (breaking his tiller extension in the process, and hit the showers), Rob disappeared into the distance, and Paul played it safe to gain second. Then the wind built and the hail came in, making the next 45 minutes a mix of powered up broad reaches and painful beats. Paul decided to cool off twice more before the end of the race, but had enough of a lead to hold second. Rob was too fast, so had to sail an extra beat for his sins, and have an extra long run home.

With the pursuit being double points, and non-discardable, this left the final score: 1st Rob Jones, 2nd Paul Watson, 3rd Harry McVicar and 4th Tim Keen due to his retirement.

All in all, it was a great event with challenging conditions and proper close racing. Let’s get a few more there next year! Thanks to event sponsors Volvo and Magic Marine and to Team Volvo sailors John Pink and Nikki Birrell for sharing in the weekend’s fun.

By Harry McVicar

RS400 End of Season Championship Rutland Sailing Club 5-6 Nov 16

By the time the early entry closed for the RS400 End of Season Championships, 36 teams had signed up for a weekend of racing at Rutland Water. The forecast of single figure temperatures, fresh to frightening winds and squally showers may have put off a few teams, but many hardy and committed (or slightly mad) RS400 sailors arrived on Saturday to blustery and “fresh” conditions.

After an encouraging brief from the PRO, reassuring us that it was only the odd gust topping out at 30 knots, the fleet set sail to the Northern half of the lake. The race team did a splendid job of managing three races in 3 ½ hrs on a windward-leeward course with four fleets all having independent starts.

As the largest fleet on this course area, the start line was designed to accommodate the RS400s and we achieved a clean start at the first attempt. With gusts ripping into the fleet, requiring mainsails to flog and jibs to be eased, it wasn’t long before the pain of cold hands and numb feet was replaced by burning thighs and aching arms. Dodging the RS200s and RS500s flying down the run the RS400s arrived at the top mark comfortably spread out. Rounding in second, we hoisted and set off after the leaders and awaited the first big puff to roll of the shore. We were not disappointed. Spotting the layline was made easier by gybing before a few RS200s who appeared to be inspecting their foils for weed and a drag race to the leeward gate commenced. This cycle was repeated two more times. Positions changed both upwind and down as the gusts and shifts made boat handling challenging to stay in the groove, be on the right tack and position against the boats nearby. Winners of race one were Stewart and Sarah Robinson (1319) who made light work of the tough conditions.

The wind cranked up a notch for races two and three. Again, a clean start in race two saw the fleet commence battle upwind. Keeping the boat flat was the priority and at times the main was left hanging to leeward as we sailed off the jib in the gusts. As the newbies to the RS400 class, we were delighted to lead the fleet around the course to take the race two win but the current national champions Paul and Mark Oakey (1441) pushed us hard.

Race three got away cleanly but this time it was the new pairing of son Ben Robertson sailing with father Stewart in 1319. Ben (1161) had retired in race one with a broken boom and bumped into his parents ashore who had retired from race three. Hopping into the boat, the father/son duo shot back out to the start line (how Ben summoned the courage to get back into his wet wetsuit again I have no idea) and led the fleet around the track. This time we were the chasers but to no avail.

After Saturday night’s debrief with Team Volvo’s John Pink, excellent dinner and dancing (for the true RS sailors) the fleet awoke on Sunday to polar conditions. With an air temperature of 4 degrees with rain forecast later, a raw wind brought the wind chill literally to freezing.

The most polite way to describe the pursuit race start for the RS400s is a kerfuffle; able to lay the first mark on port, the majority of the fleet settled on a port tack approach, however, a few committed RS400s decided to close the door on starboard, needless to say, in the ensuing melee the fleet was early, very early. We gybed round for what we thought was an individual recall and circled the pin to re-start only to be met by the whole fleet tacking in response to a general recall. Round we went again, and on our third crossing of the start line, we were off. Second to the first mark we set off in hot pursuit of the earlier starters. I felt for the leader (1380 I think) who succumbed to a massive gust on the first reach and was blown flat, very impressive but not quick!

The course took us on 20 minute laps of Rutland Water with only a short leg where we could fly the kite. The RS400s were not going to win the pursuit race but the race for class honours was on. After an hour of fending off 2nd and 3rd place, both Stewart and Sarah (1319) and Paul and Mark (1441) flashed past us in a huge gust on the third run. The gust was so big that two of the front three leaders wore round rather than gybe! A lap later, Jon Heissig and Nicky Griffin (1454) took advantage of my over confidence at the gybe mark and sailed past us whilst I stood on the centreboard. The RS400s finished 1319, 1441, 1454, and then 1074 hotly pursued by John MacKenzie and Andy Box in 1455.

Overall, this was a great weekend’s racing and congratulations go to the deserving winners, Stewart and Sarah (and Ben) Robertson. Finally, a massive thank you must go to the rescue boat crews who must have been so much colder than us.

As newcomers to the RS400 what did we learn from the weekend?

The fleet is very friendly and the sailing standard is high.

The racing is close, mistakes are punished and hard work is rewarded.

Ratchet blocks on the jib are essential– finding out before the pursuit race was a blow to crew morale!

Our boat leaks …… a lot

See you all at the 2016/17 GJW Direct Sail Juice Winter Series.

by Russ Clark (RS400 1074)

RS500 End of Season Championship Rutland Sailing Club 5-6 Nov 16

Well, the wind was frisky and the temperature was freezy, so there was a pretty good challenge to keep getting round the course even if the turnout was decidely below par. Four intrepid sailors in two teams braved the elements, Peter Curtis and Keith Sykes sailing together for the first time, with Keith just recovering from a cold (or so he thought), and Jamie Freeman and Will Pook giving Will’s brand new mast and sails a thorough shake out. The wind on Saturday was about 20 knots gusting 30 knots, but some of the gusts seemed to last a long, long time, and there were three class races to negotiate. We thought we were going to be lumped in with the RS400s, but were given our own start on a very long line designed to accommodate 36 RS400s. Race 1 saw both boats starting at the committee boat end. Peter and Keith seemed to have an edge up the beat (at least on starboard tack) and reached the windward mark first. The run was fun, and the gybes safe and we started upwind again. Peter and Keith couldn’t help wonder whether the wind really was that shifty, or whether Jamie and Will were going significantly different angles to them upwind - something to do with the rigging of that new mast maybe? Anyway, Keith’s recent cold was making him sluggish, and this caused a capsize on the gybe on lap 2, handing the lead back to Jamie and Will, who held onto it for the win in race 1.

Race 2 saw Jamie and Will go for a port end flyer, but they failed to cross the fleet as the initial port bias seemed to have gone by the time of the start. The beat was much closer contested than race 1 and the two boats were very close for the next lap, with Jamie and Will just getting ahead by the end of the second beat. We then started on a run in what felt like the biggest gust of the whole weekend, with some quite decent waves for an inland piece of water. Jamie and Will were nowhere to be seen by the time Peter and Keith made it safely to the gate, and they went on to take race 2. It turned out that Jamie and Will had heard a bang from their rig and the boat had become hard to control. After capsizing to see if they could understand the problem they decided to continue the investigation ashore.

That left only 50% of the fleet for race 3, with Keith shivering quite violently and moving and thinking at sloth-like speed (and definitely not recovered from his cold!). This led to a multiple capsize sequence at the top mark on lap 1, and the decision made to get to the showers before all the RS200s and RS400s could get all the hot water.

Onto Sunday and the pursuit race. The forecast was for slightly less wind and similar size gusts as Saturday. It didn’t feel much different except in the lee of the big headland near the club, which gave some very interesting shifts and holes. We started with the RS300s on a course that had rather a lot of 2-sail reaching (although we both tried to hold the kite on the first of these, which nearly ended in a swim for Peter and Keith). The same pattern emerged as Saturday, with Jamie and Will, and their extra weight, making up on the beats what they lost downwind. The RS300s initially got away from us, but subtle changes in the angles of the reaches as the race wore on brought them back towards us, and fatigue for the single handers probably started to play a part in the second hour. Peter and Keith slowly extended a decent lead over Jamie and Will and we all started to pick off occasional RS Aeros and RS200s which had been for a swim. Jamie and Will then had another incident with their rig and called it a day, while Peter and Keith plugged on and left the RS300s behind. The starboard tack 2-sail reach along the bottom of the course was a relentless workout for the helm’s right arm (and a constant shower of water in the face) that seemed to go on for hours, although probably only 5 minutes. By the end of the race it was just broad enough for the RS200s to hold the kite - Peter and Keith tried it but got uncomfortably close to ramming the bank in one of the gusts, pulled it down and were then gleefully overtaken by one while 2-sailing it; however, we blasted past them after the dog-leg when they had to 2-sail it as well. Without seeming to sail past many, Peter and Keith ended up pretty close to the front of the RS200 fleet, and a creditable 17th overall, from something like 100 who started (and 68 who finished).

So, Curtis and Sykes are End of Season Champions with Freeman and Pook as runners-up. A great experience and one that I’ll enjoy even more in hindsight when I forget just how cold it was. Thanks to event sponsors Volvo and Magic Marine and to Team Volvo sailors John Pink and Nikki Birrell for sharing in the weekend’s fun.

By Peter Curtis

RS800 End of Season Championship Rutland SC 5-6 Nov 16

What a great weekend’s sailing particularly for those who were planning a polar trek later this winter: 20 knots gusting 30 knots from the North on Saturday and slightly less on the Sunday but with a lovely heavy rain shower during the second half of the pursuit race. What more could you ask for? The format was 3 races on Saturday with one discard and a non-excludable double counting pursuit race on Sunday (individual race results extracted for each fleet).

Having missed the Inlands at Grafham due to being at the Endeavour Trophy, National Champions Luke and Emma McEwen were fast out of the blocks in race one but had a titanic fight on their hands with former national Champions Peter Barton and Chris Feibusch on their tails for all 4 laps. Just behind Andy and Allyson Jeffries were having a tight battle with Ralph and Sophie Singleton for 3rd place with Andy taking the honours. Having to wait for the RS200s , RS500s and RS400s to start first tested out all the artic sailing kit to its fullest.

Race two started in similar conditions with Luke and Emma again leading the charge. Pete decided that his centreboard needing inspecting mid race leaving the Jeffries and Singletons to have another tight race again, with Jeffries nailing the last beat to take second, the Singletons 3rd and Pete and Chris 4th.

Having recorded two firsts Luke and Emma headed for a much deserved warm shower as they could not improve their own results that day. This potentially gave Pete and Chris an opportunity of a race win and also with a double scoring non excludable race on Sunday the chance to still win the event overall. By this time the fleet had shrunk 6 hardy souls. Pete and Chris lead from start to finish but almost handed the race in the last 100 yards to Ralph and Sophie as a mega gust suddenly meant that the finish line was a little further away than he had hoped ! The Singleton gybed early but not early enough to be able to carry the kite to the finish, giving Pete and Chris the bullet. The third place tussle between the Jeffries and Ella and James Moreland was very close, in fact too close as both boats collided just before the finish with Andy suffering from some brain freeze and believing that Ella was also on port tack rather than on starboard, enabling the Morlands to take a fantastic 3rd place. Ella certainly proved that you don’t need to be a big ugly bloke to make an RS800 go fast in testing windy conditions!!!! So overnight the McEwens led the way on 2pts, Pete and Chris on 3pts and the Jeffries and Singletons tied in 3rd on 5 pts.

Sunday dawned with unexpectedly large amounts of sunshine but a windchill factor which left the temperature feeling well below freezing point. The all in pursuit race was quite a spectacle with therS Aero 5s going off as the RS800s were still tucking into a full English breakfast. The course was not ideally suited to the RS800s with over half of it being a tight 2 sail reach. However the wind strength meant that being out on the trapeze was probably better than hiking for nearly 2 hours! Finally the RS800s set off in pursuit although Ralph and Sophie decided to give the fleet a head start after too much breakfast. Luke and Emma lead the way with Martin Orton and Ian Brooks and Pete and Chris in hot pursuit. The latter again decided that the hull needed inspecting but after the unscheduled stop soon climbed back up the fleet with gritted teeth and a frozen crew. With half an hour to go the rain starting lashing it down making racing even more interesting. Luke and Emma passed the last RS Aero 7 with 20 minutes to go and won the pursuit race by some distance. Peter and Chris came second with the RS Aero 7 of Chris Larr 3rd. Andy and Allyson did not fancy writing this report (they seemed to have finished 3rd a lot this year – OK their rudder downhaul broke early in the pursuit race) and Martin and Ian having stayed upright for an hour and 25 minutes into the one hour 30 minute race went for a swim when Martin failed to clip on after a tack. This enabled the Singletons who had stayed upright all weekend to take fourth in the pursuit race and being 3rd RS800.

After some delay (not sure how the race committee manged to record all the results of the pursuit race given the artic conditions) the prize giving for the event and the circuit series were held at 1545hrs. Luke and Emma had won the pursuit race, the RS800 End of Season Championship and the overall Magic Marine RS800 Grand Prix capping a fantastic year for them. Pete and Chris were second in the pursuit, 2nd over the weekend and 5th over the year with Pete’s RS Aero duties taking precedent over some fantastic RS800 sailing. Ralph and Sophie took 4th in the pursuit , 3rd (report writer for the weekend) in the RS800s and 4th in the circuit after a shoulder operation mid-season. Andy and Allyson were 4th at Rutland but 2nd in the Magic Marine Grand Prix. Fiona Hampshire decided that India was likely to be a little warmer than Rutland leaving the 2015 National Champion Tim Saxton to sail an RS200 for the weekend (not sure how he coped with all that hiking) but still finish 3rd overall in the 2016 Magic Marine RS800 Grand Prix.

A big thank you to all at Rutland , in particular the race and rescue teams who held some great racing and made sure everyone returned safely. Thanks also to event sponsors Volvo and Magic Marine and to Team Volvo sailors John Pink and Nikki Birrell for sharing in the weekend’s fun.

So we all now look forward to 2017 which looks like being another great year for the class. With ex National Champion Laurie Fitzjohnâ€‘Sykes and new crew Ann Babtie and James Hughes (if he can keep the boat and body in one piece) returning to the fleet late this year, rumours that Mr Rooster (Steve Cockerill) having bought a new RS800 and ex RS700 National Champion (and RS800 early adopter) Tim Johnson (sailing with his son Jack) joining in we could be set for some very exciting racing.

Happy Winter sailing to all RS800 sailors and see you next year.

By Ralph Singleton

The pursuit race and full event results are below. Click on the result title to be taken straight to it: